There has been a problem with attaching and detaching radioactive nose tips containing active electronic instrumentation. There is a need for an apparatus capable of attaching and detaching common vehicle nose tips of various sizes and shapes constructed of a variety of materials, containing different kinds and amounts of electronic instrumentation, and having sundry levels and types of radioactivity.
It is desirable that such nose tips all fit a universal reentry vehicle. There should be a minimum amount of time required to interface a vehicle and a nose tip so that personnel are exposed to a radioactive nose tip for a minimum amount of time. Preferably personnel separating or attaching nose tips from vehicles are shielded from or stationed remotely from such radioactive nose tips.
At the same time, the nose tip to vehicle interface or joint must be sufficiently strong to withstand high dynamic loading during vehicle reentry from exoatmospheric conditions. The nose tip to vehicle connection also must provide reliable high quality electrical connections for electronic instrumentation in the nose tip. Such connections typically carry both low voltage and radio frequency signals.